These are a few of the faces that stole my heart from the beginning! I love them SO much and can't wait to love on them again, whenever that might be.
Monday, July 30, 2012
the faces of kenya
here are a few faces to put with the names i have shared about:
this is my sweet, shy, 5-year-old Sarah.
these girls were my roomies for 12 days! (shanna, becca, bre, and caitlin)
me and Danson. his smile gets me every time.
this is Mark. he's a silly little boy.
Danson again wearing his shirt that he decorated.
this is Dennis with his shirt.
Dennis with his pipe cleaner "goggles" and crown.
this is Moses and Eliud. they're brothers...if you couldn't tell.
This is Daniel. The BEST bus driver in the WHOLE WORLD, and he's pretty awesome, too.
My sweet Sylvia
Emma Jane, our amazing cook
This is Tony. He is one of Nelly's kids.
This is Cynthia, another one of Nelly's.
Sweet Joy. She truly is pure JOY!
This is Chris, another child at Nelly's.
This is Victor. precious boy!
Ezekiel and Eliud
This is Michael. He gave me a book about Swahili, so I can learn more!
This is Vintage. This smile melts my heart.
This is Peter. He's full of love!
Eliud, again.
Duncan "Senior" and John Bogwa
Sweet Grace. If you met her, you would never guess that she was in a car accident 4 months ago and broke multiple bones. She lost 13 family members but now she's healthy and LOVES to tickle your armpits.
Me and Eunice
big John and Me
This is big Joseph and big John
me and Nash
These are a few of the senior boys. Jenga, Dennis, Duncan "Senior", big John, Joshua, and big Joseph.
Me, Moses, and Eliud
sweet Moses
Sylvia, again
this is Emmanuel. He's 3 1/2 and LOVES wearing pink.
These are a few of the faces that stole my heart from the beginning! I love them SO much and can't wait to love on them again, whenever that might be.
These are a few of the faces that stole my heart from the beginning! I love them SO much and can't wait to love on them again, whenever that might be.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
reflecting
I can't believe this trip is over. it flew by. I can still remember hearing these kids sing for the first time. I remember having my first African meal. I remember going to my first worship service and my first sabbath. everything that has happened in the past 2 weeks will stay with me forever.
right now I am thankful. I am thankful I was given this opportunity. I am thankful I serve a loving God who gives us challenges in life and cheers when we succeed. I am thankful I got to see and love on each coffee bean colored child, old and young. I am thankful the Lord stays with each person on the world. he never leaves or forsakes anyone. he never left each orphan on the street. he was always there. and is always there.
secondly, I am overwhelmed. how did I get chosen to go on this trip? why didn't God send someone else? I think I have a small idea why. first, it was in God's plan for my life. second, because He knew I would be changed for the better. but I know he planted a seed in my heart. I don't know what will happen with this seed but in time God will reveal his plan for me.
God did awesome things this trip. he helped us build a playground with 2 slides, monkey bars, 2 climbing walls, swings, a volleyball net, and 2 tetherball sets. he also allowed us to come into each orphan's heart and pour into it. he helped us get enough donations to give 250 orphans a backpack with 10 items in it. he allowed us to see how some of His children live in this world. I know it opened my eyes.
something pastor benson shared with us the last night was proverbs 11:24-25. "one gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." no need to explain this. I know I've been watered. no doubt.
so that leads me to where I am now. amazed at God's work and thankful he chose me, a 16 year old from Alabama, to be His hands and feet for these children. I thought I'd leave an imprint on these kids, but they left an imprint on my heart forever.
right now I am thankful. I am thankful I was given this opportunity. I am thankful I serve a loving God who gives us challenges in life and cheers when we succeed. I am thankful I got to see and love on each coffee bean colored child, old and young. I am thankful the Lord stays with each person on the world. he never leaves or forsakes anyone. he never left each orphan on the street. he was always there. and is always there.
secondly, I am overwhelmed. how did I get chosen to go on this trip? why didn't God send someone else? I think I have a small idea why. first, it was in God's plan for my life. second, because He knew I would be changed for the better. but I know he planted a seed in my heart. I don't know what will happen with this seed but in time God will reveal his plan for me.
God did awesome things this trip. he helped us build a playground with 2 slides, monkey bars, 2 climbing walls, swings, a volleyball net, and 2 tetherball sets. he also allowed us to come into each orphan's heart and pour into it. he helped us get enough donations to give 250 orphans a backpack with 10 items in it. he allowed us to see how some of His children live in this world. I know it opened my eyes.
something pastor benson shared with us the last night was proverbs 11:24-25. "one gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." no need to explain this. I know I've been watered. no doubt.
so that leads me to where I am now. amazed at God's work and thankful he chose me, a 16 year old from Alabama, to be His hands and feet for these children. I thought I'd leave an imprint on these kids, but they left an imprint on my heart forever.
a few Africans who left an imprint on me
Eunice-she loves long hugs. her precious face lit up every time we made eye contact. shes 12 but just like all the other kids at fiwagoh, has maturity beyond her age. she's pretty shy but finds love by just a physical touch and an "I love you" or "nakupenda" (I love you in Swahili)
Sylvia-she's the first child who caught my hand. she doesn't talk much but she enjoys just sitting and having someone beside her.
Sarah-she is the shyest 5 year old I've ever met. but that's what makes her precious. she loves holding my hand and twisting my fingers. she just wants physical love by just having a hand to hold. when she sat in my lap at sabbath, she fell asleep and melted my heart. she has to warm up to you, but once she does, she will always be by your side.
Dennis-this precious boy stole my heart. he loves to look at me and when we make eye contact he runs away. he's always upbeat and has energy to do whatever. he's Eunice's brother, too. when he wore his toboggan, his little ears would stick out and his hat would poof up at the top. SO cute.
Danson- this little boy was definitely a favorite. he's only been at fiwagoh for 3 months. when I first met him, I could never get his name right. but as we got closer, it was impossible to forget that loving spirit. he taught me lots of Swahili. he loves hugs and holding my hand.
Eliud- this little boy was crazy. when I got his first letter, he stole my heart. he can write really well. he didn't really like to give hugs but towards the end, he knew he had to. he loved to scare me with these huge African beetles. but all in all, he was very wise for being a 13 year old boy.
Emma Jane- she was the cook for us. shes 18 and her mom works at the school. she gave me a tour of the fiwagoh campus and she has a real honest personality.
big Joseph- there are 12 josephs at fiwagoh and he is the oldest one. he is 17. I didn't meet him until the 2nd week, but I'm glad that I did. he was the king of tetherball and we played a lot. he became one of my best friends there. he shared his testimony with me. and he comforted me when I was having a hard time about leaving. he became a part of my family. all 210 of them did.
Duncan "Senior"- there are 3 duncans at fiwagoh and he is the oldest. he's 19 and I found out he and joseph are brothers. Duncan senior never got my name right but that's ok. he is just a big softy who loves to play around. he can work hard but can also joke around and be happy.
Nash- now he is amazing. first, his work ethic is so good. he was in charge of all the senior boys that worked on the playground. he was always working and never stopped to enjoy what he was doing. he found joy when everyone started playing and loving what he did. second, he's only 14. when I first heard him speak I thought he was at least 18. his spiritual maturity level is way higher than his age. he became a brother to me. he taught me lots of Swahili and loved to laugh when I said the words wrong (which happened often).
big John- big John. what can I say. he was the sweetest. I didn't know him for very long, but when I did, he was precious. he's 18 I think. he loved to garden and was just a big sweetheart. I'm glad I got to meet him because he is just awesome.
there's a ton more that stole my heart. all 210 of them did. when we did the hug line the last day, I felt like every child I hugged took a piece of my heart. that was one of the hardest things I've had to do. saying goodbye to all of these kids was just hard. how can you say goodbye to these people who had your heart after the first time you met them? only with the strength from our loving God was I able to say goodbye to them.
I KNOW they have made an imprint on me and I hope that I have made an imprint on them.
Sylvia-she's the first child who caught my hand. she doesn't talk much but she enjoys just sitting and having someone beside her.
Sarah-she is the shyest 5 year old I've ever met. but that's what makes her precious. she loves holding my hand and twisting my fingers. she just wants physical love by just having a hand to hold. when she sat in my lap at sabbath, she fell asleep and melted my heart. she has to warm up to you, but once she does, she will always be by your side.
Dennis-this precious boy stole my heart. he loves to look at me and when we make eye contact he runs away. he's always upbeat and has energy to do whatever. he's Eunice's brother, too. when he wore his toboggan, his little ears would stick out and his hat would poof up at the top. SO cute.
Danson- this little boy was definitely a favorite. he's only been at fiwagoh for 3 months. when I first met him, I could never get his name right. but as we got closer, it was impossible to forget that loving spirit. he taught me lots of Swahili. he loves hugs and holding my hand.
Eliud- this little boy was crazy. when I got his first letter, he stole my heart. he can write really well. he didn't really like to give hugs but towards the end, he knew he had to. he loved to scare me with these huge African beetles. but all in all, he was very wise for being a 13 year old boy.
Emma Jane- she was the cook for us. shes 18 and her mom works at the school. she gave me a tour of the fiwagoh campus and she has a real honest personality.
big Joseph- there are 12 josephs at fiwagoh and he is the oldest one. he is 17. I didn't meet him until the 2nd week, but I'm glad that I did. he was the king of tetherball and we played a lot. he became one of my best friends there. he shared his testimony with me. and he comforted me when I was having a hard time about leaving. he became a part of my family. all 210 of them did.
Duncan "Senior"- there are 3 duncans at fiwagoh and he is the oldest. he's 19 and I found out he and joseph are brothers. Duncan senior never got my name right but that's ok. he is just a big softy who loves to play around. he can work hard but can also joke around and be happy.
Nash- now he is amazing. first, his work ethic is so good. he was in charge of all the senior boys that worked on the playground. he was always working and never stopped to enjoy what he was doing. he found joy when everyone started playing and loving what he did. second, he's only 14. when I first heard him speak I thought he was at least 18. his spiritual maturity level is way higher than his age. he became a brother to me. he taught me lots of Swahili and loved to laugh when I said the words wrong (which happened often).
big John- big John. what can I say. he was the sweetest. I didn't know him for very long, but when I did, he was precious. he's 18 I think. he loved to garden and was just a big sweetheart. I'm glad I got to meet him because he is just awesome.
there's a ton more that stole my heart. all 210 of them did. when we did the hug line the last day, I felt like every child I hugged took a piece of my heart. that was one of the hardest things I've had to do. saying goodbye to all of these kids was just hard. how can you say goodbye to these people who had your heart after the first time you met them? only with the strength from our loving God was I able to say goodbye to them.
I KNOW they have made an imprint on me and I hope that I have made an imprint on them.
playing catch up
I need to catch up a bit so here goes:
Fiwagoh:
waking up to 210 sweet African kids praising Jesus by singing their hearts out is one of my favorite things. this is how I woke up almost every day. at fiwagoh, they have worship every morning and night. also, the seniors (oldest kids) preach. the main 3 are: Joshua, Nash, and Duncan "Senior". it's overwhelming to listen to them preach. I felt like I was listening to a 40 year old preacher with tons of experience, not a 18, 14, and 19 year old preach. the amount of scripture and spiritual maturity they have is just amazing. (I'll post pictures of all of them later) also at worship, the kids sing hymns. they know the whole hymn book by heart but listening to them just makes my heart happy.
letters. these kids LOVE to write letters. they are REALLY good writers too. by the end of the trip, I got a total of 72 letters. overwhelming. but each letter that they got in response (from anyone), they cherish forever. they cherish every little thing. a letter, a hug, an "I love you", and a hand to hold. they're funny kids too. one day, we decided to play "catch the American". one of us would run around the field and 100 Kenyan kids would chase him or her until they got tackled. the kids thought it was hilarious. they are living proof that great things can come from horrible circumstances.
Haven of Hope (Nelly's):
haven of hope is an orphanage we also worked at. Nelly's is a 6 bedroom house that holds 36 kids. we went there a few times. these kids are ages 4 days old to 11. those kids' smiles stole my heart. (I'll post pictures of them soon). Nelly's story is a true testament. she always had a heart for kids. at one point in her life, she was engaged but because he didn't want to help orphans or have kids, she ended the relationship. also, at one time, she took in 11 newborns. she hardly sleeps but loves these kids as her own.
Mama Sweetie's:
mama sweetie's was the last orphanage we went to. it's located in a village outside of Nakuru. after about 100 potholes, we made it to her house. she has 37 kids she's taken in as her own. her story is awesome, too. she lost her husband in the post-election. so she became a midwife and a spokesperson for HIV awareness. when the ladies she was midwifing for died, they left their children in the care of mama sweetie. while we were at Mama Sweetie's, the kids sang and danced for us. they sang 4 songs. in the last song, the kids started to pull our team members up to dance with them. I was picked 2nd and I just loved attempting to dance like an African.
when we went to Nelly's and Mama Sweetie's, I really saw what poverty was and how much I've been blessed living where I do. at mama sweeties, they don't have running water and sometimes they don't know where their next meal will come from. she said they live by faith knowing they will get food by the merciful, gracious God we serve. they have the faith I wish to have one day. FULL reliance on Him. no holding back.
Fiwagoh:
waking up to 210 sweet African kids praising Jesus by singing their hearts out is one of my favorite things. this is how I woke up almost every day. at fiwagoh, they have worship every morning and night. also, the seniors (oldest kids) preach. the main 3 are: Joshua, Nash, and Duncan "Senior". it's overwhelming to listen to them preach. I felt like I was listening to a 40 year old preacher with tons of experience, not a 18, 14, and 19 year old preach. the amount of scripture and spiritual maturity they have is just amazing. (I'll post pictures of all of them later) also at worship, the kids sing hymns. they know the whole hymn book by heart but listening to them just makes my heart happy.
letters. these kids LOVE to write letters. they are REALLY good writers too. by the end of the trip, I got a total of 72 letters. overwhelming. but each letter that they got in response (from anyone), they cherish forever. they cherish every little thing. a letter, a hug, an "I love you", and a hand to hold. they're funny kids too. one day, we decided to play "catch the American". one of us would run around the field and 100 Kenyan kids would chase him or her until they got tackled. the kids thought it was hilarious. they are living proof that great things can come from horrible circumstances.
Haven of Hope (Nelly's):
haven of hope is an orphanage we also worked at. Nelly's is a 6 bedroom house that holds 36 kids. we went there a few times. these kids are ages 4 days old to 11. those kids' smiles stole my heart. (I'll post pictures of them soon). Nelly's story is a true testament. she always had a heart for kids. at one point in her life, she was engaged but because he didn't want to help orphans or have kids, she ended the relationship. also, at one time, she took in 11 newborns. she hardly sleeps but loves these kids as her own.
Mama Sweetie's:
mama sweetie's was the last orphanage we went to. it's located in a village outside of Nakuru. after about 100 potholes, we made it to her house. she has 37 kids she's taken in as her own. her story is awesome, too. she lost her husband in the post-election. so she became a midwife and a spokesperson for HIV awareness. when the ladies she was midwifing for died, they left their children in the care of mama sweetie. while we were at Mama Sweetie's, the kids sang and danced for us. they sang 4 songs. in the last song, the kids started to pull our team members up to dance with them. I was picked 2nd and I just loved attempting to dance like an African.
when we went to Nelly's and Mama Sweetie's, I really saw what poverty was and how much I've been blessed living where I do. at mama sweeties, they don't have running water and sometimes they don't know where their next meal will come from. she said they live by faith knowing they will get food by the merciful, gracious God we serve. they have the faith I wish to have one day. FULL reliance on Him. no holding back.
the beginning of this amazing journey
when we started descending on Ethiopia, it hit me. I'm in AFRICA. it still feels like a dream. this is the view I saw: green mountains. breathtaking. it's like God got out His (rather large) paintbrush and painted streaks of purple-brown on these mountains. next, you see the patches of soil. the soil looks like a pathway of different shades of brown. but, the way it looked, I could see how the God of the universe cared enough to put that tree there or that soil there. as we continued our decent, I began to see the houses. if you could call them that. the roofs were made of any scrap metal these people could find. you could see each village and each dirt road connecting people to society. it's amazing to think God spent his time on us and them. He doesn't owe us anything, but instead we owe him everything. But, He still cares about every baby, teenager, adult, and everything in between.
in my journal I wrote this: "he's taught me so much already. he is my protector, comforter, and a caring provider. he orchestrated an amazing group of people to go love. he protected me on the planes. and he never leaves my side."
in my journal I wrote this: "he's taught me so much already. he is my protector, comforter, and a caring provider. he orchestrated an amazing group of people to go love. he protected me on the planes. and he never leaves my side."
Saturday, July 21, 2012
saturday is the sabbath
Today was the Sabbath for them. So, we had breakfast like normal at 7:30 am. Then, we headed to just hang out with the kids before the service. I learned some more Swahili from Danson and Nash. They love teaching me and I'm so glad they love it. But, at 8:30 the service started. We started with singing hymns and the kids could go up to the front and sing to everyone if they wanted. It was amazing to see all the people in the room just worshiping the Lord. We sang and listened to kids sing for the first hour.
For the second hour, we listened to testimonies. During this, my heart was broken for all of these kids. Nash talked about how the Lord is always good. He is only 14, but he has the spiritual maturity of an 18 year old. His mom died when he was young and his dad was a drunk. This is how most of these kids stories start. But, the Lord is always good because he made it to Fiwagoh.
After some more testimonies, we had a short 10 minute break...but on African time. (So more like 30 minutes haha) After the break, we headed to small groups for a lesson. Joshua talked about how you always need to know who is in your "boat"...meaning life. He talked about how you need to cast off the trouble makers to truly know the Prince of PEACE. Before he talked, we sang a song over 3 times. Thankfully, I knew the song. I love hearing all their voices just praising their Creator.
After 4 hours of praising the Lord, we went on a nature walk. I was with the "juniors" (who are the youngest kids). When we got halfway done with the walk, it started POURING. I had a little boy named John on my back because his little legs can't carry him too long. All the kids started running home, but I just accepted the fact that I'm gonna get SOAKED. The rain was SO hard and came down tilted. But it was definitely a memory.
That's pretty much what happened today. I really want to elaborate but then I'd be writing pages. These kids and this day have left an imprint on my heart forever and ever.
For the second hour, we listened to testimonies. During this, my heart was broken for all of these kids. Nash talked about how the Lord is always good. He is only 14, but he has the spiritual maturity of an 18 year old. His mom died when he was young and his dad was a drunk. This is how most of these kids stories start. But, the Lord is always good because he made it to Fiwagoh.
After some more testimonies, we had a short 10 minute break...but on African time. (So more like 30 minutes haha) After the break, we headed to small groups for a lesson. Joshua talked about how you always need to know who is in your "boat"...meaning life. He talked about how you need to cast off the trouble makers to truly know the Prince of PEACE. Before he talked, we sang a song over 3 times. Thankfully, I knew the song. I love hearing all their voices just praising their Creator.
After 4 hours of praising the Lord, we went on a nature walk. I was with the "juniors" (who are the youngest kids). When we got halfway done with the walk, it started POURING. I had a little boy named John on my back because his little legs can't carry him too long. All the kids started running home, but I just accepted the fact that I'm gonna get SOAKED. The rain was SO hard and came down tilted. But it was definitely a memory.
That's pretty much what happened today. I really want to elaborate but then I'd be writing pages. These kids and this day have left an imprint on my heart forever and ever.
Friday, July 20, 2012
my heart is full
I AM IN AFRICA! I've been trying to find time to blog, but the time is just precious and honestly, I'd rather be with the kids. My heart is full. These kids fill every piece of my heart. But, let me review the past few days real quick.
MONDAY
Riding in a bus in Africa is one of the scariest thing of my life. They use their horn as a blinker and every mile there's at least 5 honks. It's crazy! Our bus driver, Daniel, is a great driver though. When we first got to Fiwagoh, the kids were singing their welcome song. All of our windows were open and as we passed by all 210 kids, they would grab our hands. But, one little coffee colored hand didn't let go and held my hand while running next to a moving bus full of mzungus. Her eyes longed for a hug and just physical love. Right when I got off, she found me and gave me the sweetest letter. Her name is Sylvia. Then, another sweet child came up to me. (At Fiwagoh, the kids choose you.) The other girl's name is Eunice. She LOVES hugs and is always by my side. Then, a precious 5 year old came up to me and just looked at me. She h/as to be one of the shyest kids I've met. Her name is Sarah. She LOVES to hold my hand and as long as I'm touching her, she's content. She loves observing everyone and now she's started singing in front of me with her pure, young voice.
(I'll write about Tuesday through Thursday later)
FRIDAY
Today is the beginning of the Sabbath. I worked on the playground today and got major burnt. This African sun is INTENSE. But, I love it. After working on the playground, the kids got out of school. They LOVE playing with the tires, but today, they sat on the tires and said, "Auntie, will you tell us a story?" So, I made up a story. Then, the kids decided to share their stories on how they got to the orphanage. One boy, Eliud, really wanted to share his story. Eliud is the most awesome kid ever. He has knowledge that a boy his age would never have. He also has a younger brother named Moses (one of the 3 at the orphanage). But, Eliud's story was so sad because he and his 5 other brothers and sisters were abandoned. It just reminded me that each kid has a story like this, but they are still happy. These kids are the most well behaved kids I've ever met. And they are so joyful with an eternal perspective on life.
Here are a few names of kids that I've met:
Sarah-precious 5 year old whose eyes are just precious. her big brown eyes love to observe me and when i catch her eyes, her face lights up.
Sylvia-shes the first child ive met and she LOVES to get hugs. she doesnt talk much but all she wants is physical love, and i dont mind sharing love.
Eunice-she is always by my side. she leads the kids at worship every night. she never wants to let go of my hugs and her sweet smile melts my heart.
Dennis-he is the sweetest boy. i just found out he is Eunice's brother. he loves to just be near me and his precious smile makes my face light up.
Danson-he taught me Swahili today. he is the sweetest (overused word) boy. i love to give him hugs and just hang with him. he is one of my favorite boys here.
There's so many more and I'll write about them soon. The computer is dying and 2 other people have to use it :)
God has taught me so much and I LOVE it here. These kids have stolen my heart and have made an imprint on me.
MONDAY
Riding in a bus in Africa is one of the scariest thing of my life. They use their horn as a blinker and every mile there's at least 5 honks. It's crazy! Our bus driver, Daniel, is a great driver though. When we first got to Fiwagoh, the kids were singing their welcome song. All of our windows were open and as we passed by all 210 kids, they would grab our hands. But, one little coffee colored hand didn't let go and held my hand while running next to a moving bus full of mzungus. Her eyes longed for a hug and just physical love. Right when I got off, she found me and gave me the sweetest letter. Her name is Sylvia. Then, another sweet child came up to me. (At Fiwagoh, the kids choose you.) The other girl's name is Eunice. She LOVES hugs and is always by my side. Then, a precious 5 year old came up to me and just looked at me. She h/as to be one of the shyest kids I've met. Her name is Sarah. She LOVES to hold my hand and as long as I'm touching her, she's content. She loves observing everyone and now she's started singing in front of me with her pure, young voice.
(I'll write about Tuesday through Thursday later)
FRIDAY
Today is the beginning of the Sabbath. I worked on the playground today and got major burnt. This African sun is INTENSE. But, I love it. After working on the playground, the kids got out of school. They LOVE playing with the tires, but today, they sat on the tires and said, "Auntie, will you tell us a story?" So, I made up a story. Then, the kids decided to share their stories on how they got to the orphanage. One boy, Eliud, really wanted to share his story. Eliud is the most awesome kid ever. He has knowledge that a boy his age would never have. He also has a younger brother named Moses (one of the 3 at the orphanage). But, Eliud's story was so sad because he and his 5 other brothers and sisters were abandoned. It just reminded me that each kid has a story like this, but they are still happy. These kids are the most well behaved kids I've ever met. And they are so joyful with an eternal perspective on life.
Here are a few names of kids that I've met:
Sarah-precious 5 year old whose eyes are just precious. her big brown eyes love to observe me and when i catch her eyes, her face lights up.
Sylvia-shes the first child ive met and she LOVES to get hugs. she doesnt talk much but all she wants is physical love, and i dont mind sharing love.
Eunice-she is always by my side. she leads the kids at worship every night. she never wants to let go of my hugs and her sweet smile melts my heart.
Dennis-he is the sweetest boy. i just found out he is Eunice's brother. he loves to just be near me and his precious smile makes my face light up.
Danson-he taught me Swahili today. he is the sweetest (overused word) boy. i love to give him hugs and just hang with him. he is one of my favorite boys here.
There's so many more and I'll write about them soon. The computer is dying and 2 other people have to use it :)
God has taught me so much and I LOVE it here. These kids have stolen my heart and have made an imprint on me.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
one step closer
Well I am one step closer to Kenya because I have officially left Birmingham! The day has finally come where I got to go experience the world!! Right now, as I am typing this, I am sitting on an airplane, just waiting. We were supposed to leave 30 minutes ago but we were told we had to wait for the "air traffic" to clear up. You can imagine my disappointment because I am SO ready to meet the rest of the team!! So far I've only met one person from the team. His name is Josh. He actually lives in Birmingham, so he will be on every flight with me! Now, I have to wait another 30 minutes. But, I've been waiting for this day for 6 months so 30 minutes is like nothing. But I think God is getting me ready for the next two weeks with patience.
I've been told Africa is on it's own time. There's late....and then there's Africa time. So, I think God's just telling me to relax and not worry about being late because late on my time might be perfect time on His watch.
God doesn't live on our time or work when we're ready for Him to work. We work on His time. I think that is a hard concept for a lot of people because they think God fits into their life. But really, we fit in His. He made us and He can end our life whenever He wants. All I know is, God knows everything that's gonna happen and what is about to happen. So why worry? What if we got a delay because a plane is right in our path and we would have a crash if we left on time? Everything that happens is to help us, not hurt us. Even if it feels like it is a helpless situation, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Always.
On a more fun note, I guess you could say, I am now up in the air. Currently I am on top of Virginia. This flight has been pretty fun. We keep flying straight through clouds and it's a little bumpy but really cool. Because you start seeing everything out of the window, then all you see is white because you're in the middle of a cloud! First, that's pretty cool. The clouds you see in the sky, I can now say I've flown through them. Clouds are just cool. These clouds are so fluffy that I bet they're softer than the fluffiest pillow in the world. A fun game I've been playing to pass time is the game I used to play as a little girl. You try to find shapes in the clouds and you can get really creative. So far I've seen Mickey Mouse, a gorilla, Nemo, and a poodle. It's a totally different view because I'm just looking sideways rather than looking up. It's just plain amazing!
this is what I wrote yesterday. So today I'm boarding the plane in an hour and a half! Next time I blog, I'll be in AFRICA!!!!!!!
God is great. VERY great.
I've been told Africa is on it's own time. There's late....and then there's Africa time. So, I think God's just telling me to relax and not worry about being late because late on my time might be perfect time on His watch.
God doesn't live on our time or work when we're ready for Him to work. We work on His time. I think that is a hard concept for a lot of people because they think God fits into their life. But really, we fit in His. He made us and He can end our life whenever He wants. All I know is, God knows everything that's gonna happen and what is about to happen. So why worry? What if we got a delay because a plane is right in our path and we would have a crash if we left on time? Everything that happens is to help us, not hurt us. Even if it feels like it is a helpless situation, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Always.
On a more fun note, I guess you could say, I am now up in the air. Currently I am on top of Virginia. This flight has been pretty fun. We keep flying straight through clouds and it's a little bumpy but really cool. Because you start seeing everything out of the window, then all you see is white because you're in the middle of a cloud! First, that's pretty cool. The clouds you see in the sky, I can now say I've flown through them. Clouds are just cool. These clouds are so fluffy that I bet they're softer than the fluffiest pillow in the world. A fun game I've been playing to pass time is the game I used to play as a little girl. You try to find shapes in the clouds and you can get really creative. So far I've seen Mickey Mouse, a gorilla, Nemo, and a poodle. It's a totally different view because I'm just looking sideways rather than looking up. It's just plain amazing!
this is what I wrote yesterday. So today I'm boarding the plane in an hour and a half! Next time I blog, I'll be in AFRICA!!!!!!!
God is great. VERY great.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
overwhelming joy
The title pretty much sums up how I am feeling today. Overwhelmed with joy. Today marks one week until I board a plane headed for Kenya!! Every time I think about it I cannot wipe the smile off my face. It feels like I am going to wake up and it was all just a dream because it's SO amazing! Everyone keeps asking "well, aren't you nervous?" but really, all I feel is just excitement! I am so thankful that God has kept a spirit of anticipation (in a good way) rather than nervousness. But then again, without Him I wouldn't even be going on this trip!
Today, when I was commissioned by the church I was again, overwhelmed by the love of the people of Shades. To know that all these people who I know and love, and some I don't know, are praying for me and rooting for me and the team I'll be with is just blowing my mind. I've been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. The Lord didn't just fill my cup, but He makes it overflow every day.
And speaking of overflowing, my luggage bags might as well be snack size Ziploc bags. I have a whole suitcase full of donations and extra. The maximum weight is 50 lbs and I have a good 65 lbs of just donations. It is so difficult to decide on which donations I should take and which ones I should leave behind. All of the donations were gifts from others who want to help the world and who am I to leave them here? So, do not fear because no donations will be left behind!
Today God showed me that I am loved. Being human, we always want constant knowledge that we are wanted and loved. Today was just what I needed. Today I was loved on by my friends, family, and people I don't even know. I would walk around and people would come up to me telling me how they were going to be praying for me. That is enough to bring overwhelming joy to anyone.
The continual reminders of the love of these people is breathtaking. But at the same time, it's eye-opening. I would usually just soak in the love and think nothing about it. But now, I think, some of these kids I'll be meeting and loving on will never see all this love that I've seen in one day. Some of these kids will go their whole lives without feeling the sense of being wanted. So, that's my job. And by others loving on me, it makes my heart want to love all the little coffee bean colored children even more!
So, thank you for everyone who is praying for me and I CAN'T WAIT to see how God uses me, not just in Nakuru, but everywhere that I go. God has prepared me to go touch the world, and leave an imprint for His glory.
Today, when I was commissioned by the church I was again, overwhelmed by the love of the people of Shades. To know that all these people who I know and love, and some I don't know, are praying for me and rooting for me and the team I'll be with is just blowing my mind. I've been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. The Lord didn't just fill my cup, but He makes it overflow every day.
And speaking of overflowing, my luggage bags might as well be snack size Ziploc bags. I have a whole suitcase full of donations and extra. The maximum weight is 50 lbs and I have a good 65 lbs of just donations. It is so difficult to decide on which donations I should take and which ones I should leave behind. All of the donations were gifts from others who want to help the world and who am I to leave them here? So, do not fear because no donations will be left behind!
Today God showed me that I am loved. Being human, we always want constant knowledge that we are wanted and loved. Today was just what I needed. Today I was loved on by my friends, family, and people I don't even know. I would walk around and people would come up to me telling me how they were going to be praying for me. That is enough to bring overwhelming joy to anyone.
The continual reminders of the love of these people is breathtaking. But at the same time, it's eye-opening. I would usually just soak in the love and think nothing about it. But now, I think, some of these kids I'll be meeting and loving on will never see all this love that I've seen in one day. Some of these kids will go their whole lives without feeling the sense of being wanted. So, that's my job. And by others loving on me, it makes my heart want to love all the little coffee bean colored children even more!
So, thank you for everyone who is praying for me and I CAN'T WAIT to see how God uses me, not just in Nakuru, but everywhere that I go. God has prepared me to go touch the world, and leave an imprint for His glory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)